Home Health & Hospice Week
Hospice Index Quality Measure Undergoes NQF Test This Month
You can now get a more comprehensive look at the newest proposed quality measure for hospices. In its “Measures Under Consideration” (MUC) list, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services outlines the measure it unveiled last year, the Hospice Care Index (see HCW by AAPC, Vol. XXIX, No. 45). “The Hospice Care Index monitors a broad set of leading, claims-based indicators of hospice care processes,” CMS explains in the list. “The ten indicators reflect care throughout the hospice stay and by the care team within the domains of higher levels of care, visits by nursing staff, patterns of live discharge, and per-beneficiary spending.” CMS adds a few details on methodology too. “Index scores are calculated as the total instances a hospice exceeds a threshold for each of the 10 indicators. The index thereby seeks to identify hospices which are outliers across an array of multifaceted indicators, simultaneously,” the report indicates. Hospices with less than 20 discharges in a year won’t be assigned an index score, CMS plans. More details for the measure, MUC20-0030, are in the 85-page list report at www.cms.gov/files/document/measures-under-consideration-list-2020-report.pdf. What’s next: The National Quality Forum’s Measures Application Partnership began review of the MUC list last month, NQF noted in a release. The MAP will have a public meeting about the measures on Jan. 15, will “deliver its measure recommendations to CMS by February 2021 and publish its reports in March 2021,” NQF says in the release. There is no home health MUC item this year, the list report notes.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- COVID-19:
Home Care Agencies Face Big Challenges Getting Staff Vaccinated
COVID-19 vaccinations are starting to roll out amid confusion and disarray. Whether home health and [...] - STRATEGY:
Work Overtime On Educating Staff On Vaccination To Boost Rates
Plus: ‘We need more vaccine,’ rep stresses. Confusion and disorder are keeping many home care [...] - REIMBURSEMENT:
Hang On Through No-Pay RAPs — Better NOA Times Are Coming
Both will put your reimbursement at risk, however. Home health agencies are just starting to [...] - BILLING:
Here’s When ‘Late’ Kicks In For RAPs, NOAs
Know Day 0 apart from Day 1. Home health agencies need to get the details [...] - LEGISLATION:
Don’t Overlook These PPP Changes That May Benefit You
Should you apply for a ‘second draw’ loan? If you held off on requesting relief [...] - INDUSTRY NOTES:
Review Choice Demonstration Opt Out Extended Another 3 Months
FL, NC can forego RCD submissions, but risk post-pay review. The Centers for Medicare & [...] - INDUSTRY NOTES:
Provider Relief Fund Reporting Deadline Of Feb. 15 Stands, Despite Gray Areas Introduced By COVID Relief Law
As home health and hospice agencies await clarifications on top of the Provider Relief Fund [...] - INDUSTRY NOTES:
Stark Changes Open Potential Value-Based Doorways
In addition to no-pay RAPs, COVID-19 loan forgiveness and reporting, Patient-Driven Groupings Model updates and [...] - INDUSTRY NOTES:
Hospice Index Quality Measure Undergoes NQF Test This Month
You can now get a more comprehensive look at the newest proposed quality measure for [...] - INDUSTRY NOTES:
Medicare Hospital At Home Program Participation Skyrockets
The ranks of hospitals offering Hospital At Home services has risen significantly since CMS announced [...] - INDUSTRY NOTES:
Billing Confusion Reigns As VBID Hospice Carve-In Begins
Hospices and their representatives would rather the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services postpone the [...]
